her hips. "What do you mean?"
"Does he seem angrier, less like his mellow self?"
"Is this about yesterday?" Kyra admires her figure in the wall mirror.
I nod.
"Well, now that you ask, he does seem different. More deso , you know?"
Deso isn't the word I'd use. He's been erratic and a liar. Probably learned behavior from me.
The shop girl knocks on the door. "Miss Lark, may I enter?"
"Of course."
She carries a pale blue gossamer dress.
"This one is lovely, Miss Lark," the shop girl says, holding it out so the skirt flares away from the bodice. "Notice the intricate beading and soft fringe around the hem line."
"Oh, Lark," Kyra exclaims. "That's the dress. It has to be."
"It's the finest in the shop," the shop girl says. "It's also the most expensive."
I wave my hand. Cost is no factor for me. "What do you wear under it?" I ask.
The shop girl blushes. "Nothing."
"You mean, I wear nothing under it at all?"
"Perhaps a few support garments, if you feel they are needed."
"Your nipples will show!" Kyra touches my arm before fingering the sheer fabric. "Not to mention your scars."
I lock eyes with her. "Good. Let them see I'm a fighter. That nothing can stop me." I step out of my day dress and hold my hands over my head while the shop girl dresses me. "I'm battle-hardened now, Kyra. That counts for something."
Kyra gnaws at her inner lip, a nervous habit I've never noticed before. "Beck is different," she says. "But so are you. You're more...I don't know, calculating?"
Before I can answer, Annalise ducks back into the room. "Excuse us for a minute?" she says to the shop girl and Kyra.
The shop girl bows her head and scurries away, leaving me wearing just the sheer sheath, but Kyra lingers.
"Go, Kyra. I need to speak to Lark privately."
My friend slinks from the room, clearly upset over being sent out with the help.
The room is chilly, so I conjure a warming spell.
"I watched you during the interview." Annalise pauses, as if trying to figure out what to say next. "The questions weren't to your liking until the end."
I nod while admiring my figure in the mirror. "Do you like this dress?" I shake my hips to make the fringe swing. "It's fun, isn't it? But is it appropriate for the Founder's Ball?"
"Lark, we need to talk. And not about dresses."
I turn my head toward her. "Fine. What do you need?"
"You didn't like some of the questions." It's a statement, and it sounds accusatory.
"Well, the Ryker comment surprised me."
Just saying Ryker's name makes my blood boil.
I don't tell Annalise that I suspect Beck knows where Ryker is, or is possibly hiding him. Leave that for me to deal with. And deal with it I will.
"Speaking of which, the public has received the news about Beck, and your claiming him as your mate, very well."
I smile. It's a smug smile. The kind one uses when they're getting away with things they shouldn't. The faster the public forgets my binding to Ryker, the better. "I did just fine, as Henry would say. His training must have helped."
"You controlled James, didn't you?"
My smirk grows. "I thought of what I wanted him to ask, and he asked it. If that's magic, then yes, I controlled him."
"And you did the same during the morning announcements, didn't you. On the part about the food shortages?"
My mouth drops open. "Did it not work?"
"Don't worry, it doesn't work on others who have the power of persuasion – Kyra, me, and a handful of others. That's why Malin was always searching us out. Best to keep us close so we can't set the people straight."
"Can any Light witches influence?"
"No. It's a Dark power, just like we can't grow or heal."
Annalise sits in the tufted chair, and her long, dark ponytail hangs over her shoulder. "I need to tell you something. About Malin." She fidgets as if unsure of herself. How odd. Annalise is never unsure. "At least I think I'm right, but you have to hear what I'm going to say and decide yourself."
I stop fussing with the
"Does he seem angrier, less like his mellow self?"
"Is this about yesterday?" Kyra admires her figure in the wall mirror.
I nod.
"Well, now that you ask, he does seem different. More deso , you know?"
Deso isn't the word I'd use. He's been erratic and a liar. Probably learned behavior from me.
The shop girl knocks on the door. "Miss Lark, may I enter?"
"Of course."
She carries a pale blue gossamer dress.
"This one is lovely, Miss Lark," the shop girl says, holding it out so the skirt flares away from the bodice. "Notice the intricate beading and soft fringe around the hem line."
"Oh, Lark," Kyra exclaims. "That's the dress. It has to be."
"It's the finest in the shop," the shop girl says. "It's also the most expensive."
I wave my hand. Cost is no factor for me. "What do you wear under it?" I ask.
The shop girl blushes. "Nothing."
"You mean, I wear nothing under it at all?"
"Perhaps a few support garments, if you feel they are needed."
"Your nipples will show!" Kyra touches my arm before fingering the sheer fabric. "Not to mention your scars."
I lock eyes with her. "Good. Let them see I'm a fighter. That nothing can stop me." I step out of my day dress and hold my hands over my head while the shop girl dresses me. "I'm battle-hardened now, Kyra. That counts for something."
Kyra gnaws at her inner lip, a nervous habit I've never noticed before. "Beck is different," she says. "But so are you. You're more...I don't know, calculating?"
Before I can answer, Annalise ducks back into the room. "Excuse us for a minute?" she says to the shop girl and Kyra.
The shop girl bows her head and scurries away, leaving me wearing just the sheer sheath, but Kyra lingers.
"Go, Kyra. I need to speak to Lark privately."
My friend slinks from the room, clearly upset over being sent out with the help.
The room is chilly, so I conjure a warming spell.
"I watched you during the interview." Annalise pauses, as if trying to figure out what to say next. "The questions weren't to your liking until the end."
I nod while admiring my figure in the mirror. "Do you like this dress?" I shake my hips to make the fringe swing. "It's fun, isn't it? But is it appropriate for the Founder's Ball?"
"Lark, we need to talk. And not about dresses."
I turn my head toward her. "Fine. What do you need?"
"You didn't like some of the questions." It's a statement, and it sounds accusatory.
"Well, the Ryker comment surprised me."
Just saying Ryker's name makes my blood boil.
I don't tell Annalise that I suspect Beck knows where Ryker is, or is possibly hiding him. Leave that for me to deal with. And deal with it I will.
"Speaking of which, the public has received the news about Beck, and your claiming him as your mate, very well."
I smile. It's a smug smile. The kind one uses when they're getting away with things they shouldn't. The faster the public forgets my binding to Ryker, the better. "I did just fine, as Henry would say. His training must have helped."
"You controlled James, didn't you?"
My smirk grows. "I thought of what I wanted him to ask, and he asked it. If that's magic, then yes, I controlled him."
"And you did the same during the morning announcements, didn't you. On the part about the food shortages?"
My mouth drops open. "Did it not work?"
"Don't worry, it doesn't work on others who have the power of persuasion – Kyra, me, and a handful of others. That's why Malin was always searching us out. Best to keep us close so we can't set the people straight."
"Can any Light witches influence?"
"No. It's a Dark power, just like we can't grow or heal."
Annalise sits in the tufted chair, and her long, dark ponytail hangs over her shoulder. "I need to tell you something. About Malin." She fidgets as if unsure of herself. How odd. Annalise is never unsure. "At least I think I'm right, but you have to hear what I'm going to say and decide yourself."
I stop fussing with the
Similar Books
